Preserve and promote village cultural values

(Baognhean) - Villages are places that preserve tangible and intangible cultural values ​​from generations past; they are elements that have been formed, supplemented and developed along with the history of the nation, contributing to the diversity of Vietnamese culture. Currently, in the face of the trend of integration and development, village culture is facing decline, a phenomenon that is occurring in many localities in the province.

The transformation of the countryside

Since the national target program on new rural construction in the 2010-2020 period was implemented, the face of rural areas in the province has changed in a modern direction, with many improvements. However, the programs are leaning towards economic development, not focusing much on investing in culture. During the planning process, rural spaces have been broken, many tangible and intangible cultural values ​​have not been planned to preserve and promote to their full potential. The cultural management team still lacks practical experience, and their professional qualifications do not meet the needs of local cultural activities. The direction of the implementation of new rural construction is still chasing after achievements, so the quality and efficiency are not high. This situation has led to many changes in village and commune culture.

A corner of Bac Son Cultural Village, Van Dien Commune (Nam Dan). Photo: Thanh Thuy

The typical landscape of traditional rural areas with banyan trees, ferry docks, communal houses, etc. has almost been reduced. The area of ​​agricultural land has also been reduced, giving way to residential land, business land, and public works, which have blurred the residential and production space that was quite clear in the countryside before. New forms of agglomeration, new industrial zones, new "village streets" concentrating people according to occupation such as households doing business, trading or households providing services, households doing farming have appeared more and more, popular in Dien Hong (Dien Chau), villages in Hung Dong, Hung Hoa (Vinh City), villages in Nghi Tan, Nghi Huong (Cua Lo Town)...

The space of works such as cultural houses, markets, village gates, village roads, alleys... were built and renovated in a massive way in the new rural construction movement, making the villages look urban. The current space and landscape of the village is a space that interweaves between village and city, between modern and traditional, between agricultural and non-agricultural villages. Most villages in the province are moving towards an open economic structure combining production, trade and services. Some villages still maintain traditional agriculture, but add industrial and commercial elements. However, the main economic activities are self-sufficient agricultural activities, commodity production and the current form of production is mainly household economy.

Economic change leads to changes in lifestyle, many villages and hamlets now also form independent lifestyles following the streets; at the same time, industrial lifestyles that value speed and efficiency, market lifestyles that value enjoyment and fairness... are common phenomena in rural areas. Currently, investment in relic restoration is increasingly promoted, but is influenced by many factors such as actual landscapes, current needs of people, relic design has more or less changed both in general landscape and each detail. According to people's assessment of the preservation of tangible cultural forms in the locality today, 23.1% of opinions said that the number of villages preserving relics is very good; 65.7% of people surveyed said that the number of villages preserving relics is good, 11.2% of villages have relics that are not well preserved. Villages with relics recognized as historical and cultural relics are often better preserved.

In addition, the construction of cultural institutions in the new countryside lacks synchronization between facilities and people. Facilities have been invested in and built spaciously, but are not used effectively. The methods and mechanisms of operation are still formal. The exploitation and use of cultural institutions are not good, many village cultural houses have been invested with hundreds of millions of dong, but after being built, they only serve a few meetings. Due to the lack of activities, people do not consider cultural houses as a place for activities, a place for entertainment for everyone...

Along with the economic development towards new rural areas, many problems have been left in the localities such as: The situation of unemployed workers is a common phenomenon in rural Nghe An. The proportion of people living in rural areas has decreased and there is a phenomenon that a large part of the population, although living in rural areas, is no longer farmers, because there is no more land to cultivate, and even no jobs; along with the process of transition to a market economy, the polarization between rich and poor is also taking place strongly in rural Nghe An. Although the poverty rate of the whole province has decreased to 12.5% ​​(in 2013), this rate is higher in many rural areas; the good relationship of "village love" built by our ancestors for generations is being influenced by the impact of the market economy.

The phenomenon of houses next to each other, high walls, closed doors; the busyness in economic activities makes rural people have little time to interact with each other, causing the neighborly relationship to somewhat fade. Currently, many communal cadres are not trained in culture, but are in charge of culture, so it has had negative effects on the work of preserving and promoting village cultural values ​​in new rural construction; the rapid introduction of many external cultural streams has made the security situation of villages difficult to control. Increasing social evils have made many rural areas no longer peaceful. In the process of building new rural areas, many villages have become industrial zones, rural land prices have increased rapidly, leading to internal conflicts that need to be thoroughly resolved.

Traditional and modern

Effectively promoting village cultural values ​​in new rural construction is a requirement set by all levels, sectors and localities. However, the fundamental solution lies within each village and hamlet. There, it is necessary to enhance the responsibility of the people in preserving and promoting village cultural values, because the people are both the beneficiaries and the creators of culture. Accordingly, Party committees and authorities need to promote widespread propaganda among the people about building cultural life, cultural lifestyle and building cultural institutions. In that process, it is necessary to replicate models of family culture, village cultural clubs, and clans typical of each region... Solutions need to be associated with specific activities in building cultural life in residential areas; Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of state management in preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, with special attention paid to building a cultural management team and promoting the role of the steering committee for the movement for the entire people to unite to build a cultural life.

Districts and communes need to have appropriate policies and mechanisms to mobilize maximum resources to build and organize unique traditional cultural activities associated with progressive culture. Build and perfect management mechanisms to implement village cultural lifestyle in new rural construction. Restore and embellish cultural heritages: Local leaders need to coordinate with the Nghe An Monuments and Landscapes Management Board to classify and re-evaluate relics in villages in the province. On that basis, plan to restore and reconstruct relics. Focus on building and perfecting grassroots cultural institutions to serve the cultural life of the community. It is necessary to establish a master plan for village space based on the reality of each locality, as well as finding a truly reasonable housing architectural model for modern rural areas.

Preserving and promoting the cultural values ​​of villages in the new rural construction is a necessary condition in every village in the province. The problem is how to promote the value of traditional village culture in the new rural construction, which is a difficult problem for every village. This requires each village to select the cultural quintessence, based on the principles of inheritance, exchange and development. Accordingly, "separating the muddy from the clear" to promote positive factors, eliminate limitations, and create a basis for the practical absorption of new cultural values. Only then can the new rural construction program be effectively promoted, while preserving the cultural values ​​of traditional villages in the right direction.

Le Hieu